At Liyun Tower, a listless, pock-marked attendant caught up to the madam, Feng Chi, who was on the stairs. Feng Chi understood, and in a few steps, reached the corner of the staircase, turned into the nearest corridor, and pushed open an empty room door to enter.
Once the door closed, the attendant handed her a note.
Feng Chi opened the note and let out a surprised "Eh?" “Just came from the Land of Exile? Shi Chun, oh…” She furrowed her brows in thought for a moment.
“It’s really hard to confirm this. You can’t just freely enter and exit the Land of Exile to gather information.
Besides those from Far-Gazing Tower, only the city guards of the Living Prison are relatively easy to get in and out.” She shook her head.
“Forget it, I’ll personally figure out a way to confirm this.”
So the attendant left without a word…
Leaving Far-Gazing Tower, Shi Chun looked back at the dejected Wu Jinliang following him out, knowing that this fellow was currently immersed in the frustration of his choice.
Precisely because this fellow would make such an unwise choice, Shi Chun had told him the secret of the purplish glowing Nebula in his body and taught him the secret method to break Immobilization Talismans, so he wouldn’t fail at a crucial moment. This was on the premise that Wu Jinliang already knew of the purplish glow's existence.
Currently, the three people beside him were all old brothers from East Nine Plains, but some secrets he wouldn't tell Old Dong and Big Stone.
Because he knew very well that when faced with a choice like the one just now, Old Dong and Big Stone would surely choose to perch on the best tree.
He didn't think there was anything wrong with their choice. If he couldn't give them something better, and then didn't allow them to make a better choice, whose problem would that be? Without encountering similar choices, the old brothers from East Nine Plains were generally more reliable than outsiders, for instance, right now.
Old Dong still quickly approached Shi Chun, tugged at Shi Chun’s sleeve, and solemnly reminded him, “If we can get Bian Weikang’s fifty thousand gold, or even double that to a hundred thousand, that would certainly be good. But Miss Miao was right; in Zhaotian City, no one dares to snatch Lü Taizhen’s woman, not even the City Lord would do such a scandalous thing.
Such news has most likely already reached Lü Taizhen. Now, it’s no longer convenient for the two of you to wander around, as danger could strike at any time.
This place is different from Zhixu City. Although there are rules here too, it’s not easy to suppress powerful and influential people.
They really dare to secretly make a move within the city.”
Shi Chun found this strange.
“Who said I wanted to earn Bian Weikang’s money? He’s so poor he needs a woman to support him; what money does he have for me to earn?”
Old Dong and Big Stone were both taken aback, while the dejected Wu Jinliang on the side actually chuckled at this.
Shi Chun added, “Don’t worry, Lü Taizhen doesn’t dare to touch me right now.”
These words made the two Far-Gazing Tower attendants sigh. Big Stone sighed, “Chief, begging your pardon, but in his eyes, you’re nothing.
He really would dare to touch you!”
“At least not yet.” Shi Chun stretched out a finger and scratched the character ‘Bo’ embroidered in silver on his collar.
“Just because I have two Far-Gazing Tower people following me. If Lü Taizhen’s people are really watching me now, they should know that I’ve already been upstairs at Far-Gazing Tower.
Until he clarifies my background, he won’t dare to act rashly. Powerful and influential people are indeed bolder than us, but sometimes… they’re even more cowardly than us.”
The reason he temporarily put aside Bian Weikang's urgent matter and first visited Miao Yilan at Far-Gazing Tower was partly out of politeness and gratitude, but also to deliberately create the impression he spoke of for others to see.
He hadn't expected to meet Miao Yilan and Old Dong here.
Since he did, it was a convenience he shouldn't waste; it could save him a lot of trouble.
In this unfamiliar place, and still very weak, trying to snatch food from a tiger's mouth wasn't easy.
Besides courage, one needed to be meticulous.
“Sigh.” Old Dong couldn't help but sigh again. “Chief, what you say is reasonable, but it can only fool them for a while…”
“Fooling them for a while is enough.” Shi Chun waved his hand, directly dismissing the topic. He looked at the bustling crowd around them, then motioned for the three to a quieter spot by the lake and began to settle accounts.
“Old Dong, Big Stone, how do we account for those forty thousand taels from before?”
At this, the two Far-Gazing Tower attendants immediately felt awkward. Even Old Dong could only stammer, “Miss Miao lent it to you.
Everyone knows about it, so there’s no point in talking more. Let’s go, I’ll treat you to a good meal.”
Shi Chun blocked his inviting arm. “No rush to eat.
Since we’re brothers, if things go well, I can’t give you forty thousand, but how about ten thousand for each of you?”
The two awkward fellows’ eyes immediately lit up, then they put on a discouraged smile. Old Dong said, “Alright, let’s talk about it when you actually earn it.”
Seeing the two lacked motivation, how could that be? He still needed them to do things. Shi Chun tilted his head towards Wu Jinliang.
“Jinliang, these two have been away from East Nine Plains for too long and have drunk too much of the outside mountain spring water; they don’t even think much of the two of us anymore. Come on, open their eyes.
Tell them how we’re going to earn this money.”
“Hehe, alright, I’ll open your eyes.
Listen up, that top courtesan of Liyun Tower, whether Liyun Tower sells her or we sell her…” Wu Jinliang said with a sly smile, explaining their plan to cheaply sell Xiang Lan’er to Lü Taizhen.
“Hiss…”
After hearing this, the two attendants, now enlightened, simultaneously gasped, genuinely startled.
They all stared wide-eyed, then looked at each other, and finally collectively blurted out to Shi Chun, “Two hundred thousand gold?”
Shi Chun acted as if there was dust on his clothes, brushing it off, while deliberately modest with his words, “No choice, just arrived, and not familiar with the outside situation. Let’s try for a hundred thousand or so first, just make do for now.”
“Hehe…” Wu Jinliang loved his shamelessness; it gave people hope.
“…” The two attendants were speechless for a long time, calculating in their minds, their expressions changing, not without regret.
Having achieved his goal, Shi Chun stopped beating around the bush and immediately put on his usual Chief’s demeanor. “I have two things for you to do.
Get us a place to stay at Wuyou Inn. You pay for it; whatever you spend will be considered your investment.
I keep my word; when we earn it, I’ll return double whatever you spent.”
“Good.”
“No problem.”
Old Dong and Big Stone nodded repeatedly, their faces beaming with smiles.
After they had their fill of smiling, Old Dong asked, “Isn’t selling something worth five hundred thousand for two hundred thousand too cheap? I think trying for three hundred thousand or four hundred thousand is possible. Earning more, wouldn’t everyone…” He glanced around at everyone and chuckled.
His meaning was clear: if the Chief didn’t care for more, they wouldn’t mind a larger share.
These words immediately met with unanimous agreement from Wu Jinliang and Big Stone, who nodded repeatedly in approval.
However, Shi Chun waved his hand without hesitation, rejecting them. “This isn’t East Nine Plains.
We are nothing here. We are too weak; our appetite and our teeth aren't up to it.
We can’t handle too much; eating too much might make us choke to death. Only what we can genuinely and comfortably consume truly enters our stomachs.
Two hundred thousand is already our limit; even one more Wood Gold would be inappropriate.
The second thing: although this deal is with Lü Taizhen, I don’t want to talk to Lü Taizhen directly.
I need you to find a suitable person near him to negotiate with me.”
Everyone was confused.
Wu Jinliang asked suspiciously, “Why?”
Shi Chun: “Why? It’s obvious. What kind of person is Lü Taizhen in Zhaotian City? How could he possibly take notice of me, even if I delivered a bargain right to his door? Someone who can spend five hundred thousand gold to buy a beautiful woman for pleasure, I worry he might not even care about the small savings.
If it were you, if someone you didn’t know suddenly showed up offering benefits, wouldn’t you be suspicious? Would you dare to rashly accept it?”
“That’s true…” Wu Jinliang mumbled, stroking his chin.
For his own benefit, Old Dong also became concerned and asked, “What kind of person do you want to find?”
Shi Chun: “Someone close to Lü Taizhen, someone who can help me resell Xiang Lan’er to Lü Taizhen, someone who can be bribed with money.
Don’t tell me that after staying here for so long, you haven’t heard anything about the prominent figures in Zhaotian City.”
Big Stone, deep in thought, suddenly said, “Cao Puqing’s nephew, Cen Futong, should be suitable.”
“Cen Futong…” Old Dong pondered for a moment, then also nodded slightly.
Shi Chun immediately asked, “Who is he?”
Old Dong promptly explained, “Cao Puqing is Lü Taizhen’s chief steward.
Cen Futong is his nephew. Thanks to his uncle, he lives a fairly comfortable life in this city, but he’s a bit idle and doesn’t focus on proper work.
He probably wouldn’t refuse money.”
“Another nephew…” Wu Jinliang muttered.
Shi Chun, however, smiled. “Good, he’s the one.
Tell him that someone is willing to give him one hundred thousand gold, just to befriend him. Don’t say who is sending the money; just tell him to come to Wuyou Inn to find me.
And you shouldn’t show your face directly. After all, you’re from Far-Gazing Tower; it’s not good for you to be directly involved in this kind of thing.
Spend some money to find someone to run the errand, and you just watch from the shadows. If anything changes, it can avoid implicating you.”
“Alright, should I go now?” Old Dong asked for confirmation. Seeing there was no problem, he immediately went to execute the task.
Of course, he had to earn money.
Shi Chun and the others headed towards Wuyou Inn.
Chasi, who had changed clothes and was covertly observing, saw the group split into two paths and was a little puzzled. He really wanted to see what Old Dong was up to, but in the end, he chose Shi Chun as his primary target.